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Decatur Police make five ‘notable’ arrests in six days

Crime and public safety Decatur

Decatur Police make five ‘notable’ arrests in six days

Decatur Police Officers compare notes in the parking lot of Decatur High School. File photo
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Decatur Police Officers compare notes in the parking lot of Decatur High School.

Decatur Police Officers compare notes in the parking lot of Decatur High School.

Decatur Police have made several arrests in the last six days as the city heads into summer.

According to Police Lt. Jennifer Ross, police have made five “notable” arrests since June 1.

She provided the following information regarding each incident:

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Police officers on May 30 responded to a call about an armed robbery in the Decatur cemetery. The caller said he went to the cemetery with three friends to smoke marijuana. They bumped into four people – two male, female – in an area of the cemetery by the creek.

“The four juveniles knew the other four people from school,” Ross said. “All eight of the teens hung out for about thirty minutes and smoked marijuana. The two females left and the two males left shortly thereafter.”

Two minutes later, the males returned. One sat down and the other stood near some shrubs, then ran to the group waving a gun and ordering them to turn over their belongings or he would shoot.

“The four victims gave up all of their property and the two suspects went through all of the property, took what they wanted and then ran southbound towards Commerce Drive,” Ross said. “The suspects took four cell phones, two wallets, a backpack, two sets of keys, cash, two bicycle locks and a set of bicycle lights.”

The victims went to Glenlake Park and called 911. Officers found one of the wallets on the ground near the cemetery exit on Commerce Drive. Officers were able to determine the suspects’ identities and obtain arrest warrants.

“On Wednesday, June 1, 2016, 16-year-old Kobie Maddox of Decatur was arrested (charged as an adult) on warrants for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, aggravated assault and armed robbery,” Ross said. “On Monday, June 6, 2016, 17-year-old Jaiquon Johnson of Decatur was arrested on a warrant for armed robbery.”

On June 3, an officer on patrol in the 100 block of West Ponce de Leon Avenue at 10:28 p.m. detected a stolen vehicle with his automatic license plate reader. The vehicle, a maroon Chrysler Town & Country, had been reported stolen in carjacking in Atlanta. The suspects were considered armed, Ross said.

“The stolen vehicle turned into the 1000 block of Atlanta Avenue and a traffic stop was initiated but the driver failed to comply with officer’s commands and fled toward a dead end,” Ross said. “The driver entered a commercial parking lot and the passenger exited the vehicle and ran east behind the buildings. Additional officers arrived in the area and both suspects, who fit the descriptions of the two carjacking suspects, were taken into custody. A black ‘Airsoft’ handgun consistent with one which was described to have been used during the carjacking of the vehicle as reported to Atlanta Police was located inside of the recovered vehicle.”

Police charged the driver, 20-year-old Kaila Glenn of Lithonia, with theft by receiving stolen property, eluding or attempting to elude police and obstruction of an officer. Police charged the passenger, 18-year-old TiAsia Smith of Ohio, with theft by receiving stolen property and obstruction of an officer.

The two matched the description of the carjacking suspects, Ross said.

On June 4 around 6 a.m., an officer responded to an entering auto call on Village Court. 

“The homeowner reported he went to check on a noise coming from the front of his house and observed the suspect rummaging through his vehicle in the driveway,” Ross said. “The suspect was holding a screwdriver and his garage door opener in her hands and he noticed his garage door was now open. The suspect handed him the garage door opener and then left the area. An unknown amount of cash was taken from the vehicle.”

The homeowner called 911 and provided a detailed description. The officer found the suspect “at the intersection of Sycamore Street and Hillyer Place carrying a screwdriver and a black bag.”

“The suspect, identified as 25-year-old Keiera Hudson of DeKalb County, was charged with entering auto and possession of tools for the commission of a crime,” Ross said. “The bag being carried by Hudson contained a laptop and four cell phones. All items were held as evidence.”